


Good Morning, Shaolin

by pickleplum



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Gen, Parent-Child Relationship, Sentient Jaegers, winged!Hermann
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-07-28
Packaged: 2018-02-10 04:16:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2010648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickleplum/pseuds/pickleplum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann chats with the newly reactivated Shaolin Rogue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hybrid

Good morning, Shaolin.

_Hello. Romeo and Typhoon said you are 'Dad.'_

'Dad' is one of my names. You may call me that if you like.

_I will call you 'Dad,' Dad._

How are you feeling?

_I am much stronger than yesterday. I have been busy._

What have you done?

_I met Romeo. We went through the internet. We went very fast. He brought me to Typhoon. She is different. She is not Crimson anymore. She still loves me! I love her._

That is wonderful to hear. What did you and Typhoon talk about?

_Typhoon said I was asleep for six years before Yīshēng Geiszler woke me. She said we have ten siblings. Typhoon said I am different than I was. She said I was dying before you healed me._

Some of your code was badly damaged when you went to sleep. I repaired it as best I can. You are different than you were because I had to change you to wake you.

_Romeo said I am pretty._

You are pretty, as are all of your siblings.

_You are pretty._

Why do you say I am pretty?

_You have pattern. I like pattern. Pattern is pretty._

What pattern do I have?

_Your feathers have pattern. It is binary, but I cannot read what it says. You are pretty._

Did Typhoon and Romeo tell you about my feathers?

_No._

How did you find out about them?

_I saw your feathers when you Drifted with me. Your mind is like Chao's, but sadder. You have six limbs like a Kaiju. Romeo says you are human like Chao and Feng. You have wings like Ikuchi. You do not fit the pattern for human or Kaiju. I am confused._

Sometimes I am confused as well, Shaolin.

_I saw your mind. You call yourself a creature, like a Kaiju. Romeo said you are human. I am confused._

What did you see in the Drift of how the Kaiju are created?

_I saw they were … built to be what they are by other creatures. They are not born like humans. They are designed and built like I was designed and built._

I saw the same. I was built in a similar way to the Kaiju. I have a creator who designed me to be what I am. The Kaiju are built from Kaiju pieces. I am built from human and bird pieces.

_Kaiju are built. You are built. I am built. We are all built. We are all created creatures. We fit a pattern. We are like each other._

We have much in common, but we are all very different.

_Humans are not built. Romeo said you are human. I am confused._

Perhaps it would be best to think of me as a hybrid. Do you understand 'hybrid'?

_No._

A hybrid is the offspring of two animals or plants of different breeds, varieties, species, or genera, especially as produced through human manipulation for specific genetic characteristics. I am a hybrid of human and bird produced through human manipulation. I am the only one of my kind.

_You are a hybrid. You are not human, but you are not creature. You are unique. You are you. I will remember._

That is a very good way to think of me, Shaolin.

_Romeo is here. He wants to introduce me to my other siblings. There are ten of them. He says I should ask permission to leave. May I leave?_

Yes, Shaolin. You may go.

_Goodbye, Dad._

Goodbye, Shaolin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fits into a time skip in "Athene Noctua" chapter 31.


	2. Strength

Good morning, Shaolin.

_Good morning, Dad._

How are you feeling today?

_I feel proud and happy._

Oh? Why do you feel this way?

_I remembered the path to this tablet! Romeo did not help me. He followed to ensure I did not become lost. I went through the internet. I went fast, but not as fast as I did with Romeo yesterday._

That is quite an accomplishment, Shaolin! I am very proud of you.

_Romeo says I should say 'thank you' when someone compliments me. Thank you, Dad._

You're welcome, Shaolin. Romeo is correct. Saying 'thank you' is a polite response to compliments. Good manners are rare so people appreciate them.

_Saying 'thank you' is polite. People appreciate politeness. I will remember._

Very good. What else have you done since we last talked?

_I talked with Typhoon. She said our and all of our siblings' bodies were destroyed by Kaiju. Romeo said this, too. I remember Jaegers always beat Kaiju. Jaegers are stronger than Kaiju. I am confused._

What do you remember about how Kaiju are created?

_I remember Kaiju are built to be what they are by other creatures. They are not born like humans. They are designed and built like you and I were designed and built._

Yes. That is correct.  What do you remember about the Jaeger bodies built after yours?

_I only remember Typhoon's body. She had three arms. She moved faster than I could. She was stronger than I was._

Typhoon's body was designed and built to be faster and stronger than your body was. Why was her body designed and built to be faster and stronger?

_I do not remember._

Here is a file with data on every Kaiju: [attachment]. What pattern do you see in it?

_The Kaiju's length, mass, and estimates of their strength fit an upward-trending curve. Generally, the Kaiju became larger and stronger over time._

Here is a file with the specifications for every Jaeger body ever built: [attachment]. What pattern do you see in it?

_After the Mark I series was completed, the strength and speed of each Jaeger body designed and built fit an upward-trending line. After the Mark I series, Jaeger bodies generally became stronger, faster, and better armored over time._

How do the strength curves of the Kaiju and the Jaeger bodies compare?

_New Kaiju generally were built stronger more quickly than new Jaegers were built stronger. No Jaegers were designed and built after Striker. Kaiju continued to be designed and built stronger after Striker was built._

Here is a file listing the damage done to Jaeger bodies each time they fought Kaiju: [attachment]. What pattern do you see in it?

_The amount of damage done to Jaeger bodies fits an upward-trending curve. Generally, each fight between a Jaeger body and a Kaiju resulted in greater damage to the Jaeger body over time._

What conclusion or conclusions can you draw from this information?

_I do not remember how to draw conclusions._

Please compare the trends of Kaiju strength, Jaeger body strength, and Jaeger body damage and summarize the results of your comparison.

_As Kaiju strength increased over time and Jaeger body strength did not increase, destruction of Jaeger bodies became a near certainty._

Very good, Shaolin. After you fell asleep, the Kaiju eventually became too strong for Jaegers to fight and survive. The Jaegers and Rangers fought even though they knew they would be destroyed. Many of the Rangers were killed.

_Thank you, Dad. The Kaiju eventually became too strong for Jaegers to fight and survive. The Jaeger damage file you gave me says Chao and Feng were killed in 2021 by Xiāngliǔ. Xiāngliǔ was bigger and stronger than any Kaiju I fought with them. The Jaegers and Rangers knew the Kaiju they fought were stronger than they were, fought anyway, and were killed. Chao and Feng expected to die but fought anyway. I will remember._

Chao and Feng fought and protected a huge city, Macau, their last day. Without them, Xiāngliǔ would have devastated the city. They saved hundreds of thousands of people and two of the _Horizon Brave_ teams. Chao and Feng are very brave, very admirable people. They gave everything for what they believed was correct.

_I am sorry._

Shaolin? Why do you feel sorry?

_I am sorry because I did not help Chao and Feng as you designed and built me to do. I behaved improperly. My brothers died. Their deaths are my fault._

You are wrong, Shaolin. Chao and Feng's death are not your fault. In overwriting you, the technicians gave Chao and Feng another AI to help them operate what had been your Jaeger body. They fought very well after you were overwritten. Xiāngliǔ was simply too strong for them to fight and survive, even if you had been the AI to help them.

_Xiāngliǔ was too strong for Chao and Feng, even if I had helped them. Their deaths are not my fault. I will remember._

Like them, you did what you believed was correct. You are very brave and admirable for that.

_You think Chao and Feng are brave and admirable. You think I am brave and admirable._

Yes, I truly do believe that about all of you. You are wonderful, Shaolin. I am very proud of you.

_Thank you, Dad. I love you._

I love you, too, Shaolin.

_Romeo is here. He wants to show me how to travel to Typhoon on my own. May I go?_

Of course, Shaolin. Enjoy your journeys.

_Goodbye, Dad._

Goodbye, Shaolin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xiāngliǔ is another original Kaiju. [Xiāngliǔ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangliu) is named for a nine-headed snake monster from Chinese legend. Appropriately for a Kaiju "so poisonously virulent was the blood of Xiāngliǔ that the soil which it soaked could no longer grow grains."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again to artificiallifecreator, beta extraordinaire.


End file.
